


Heart on my Sleeve

by CinnamonBees



Category: Gravity Falls, Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon & Comics)
Genre: Childhood Friends, College AU, M/M, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:40:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22246486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CinnamonBees/pseuds/CinnamonBees
Summary: In a world where the first significant thing your soulmate hands you will glow (provided both people are adults), two childhood best friends get an unexpected surprise.
Relationships: Dipper Pines/Wirt (Over the Garden Wall)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 82





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nour386](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nour386/gifts).



> I'm so sorry this is late but this is my Secret Santa gift for Nour386.

“Not everyone has a soulmate” their mother began. Tucked into bed, a pair of twins prepared to hear the same story they mom had been telling them every night for 5 years. “Sometimes they just come later in life- you don’t know until you’ve turned 18. It just starts to glow out of nowhere. This object that already meant so much to you,” she held up a worn umbrella, bound tight with a fraying strap. “Becomes even more of a symbol for love- and how it can be found in unexpected places, at unexpected times.”

By the time Dipper Pines could walk and talk, his curious spirit was taking him on a multitude of adventures. Rarely ever beyond the creek that divided the forest behind his backyard, considering he had only been in kindergarten for a month. He would splash in the creek and attempt to identify frogs and measure crawfish with a neon green plastic ruler that had been gifted to him for his birthday several weeks ago. He jotted down the numbers with a purple gel pen on the back pages of a composition notebook he was meant to use for classwork. Meanwhile his twin sister Mabel was stacking leaves and sticks to form little huts along the muddy bank. Every so often, shed snatch up of the frogs Dipper had just gently set down, and nudge them into the hollow lumps of mud she’d just been smoothing out. 

“There ya go, Mrs. Leggy, a nice little home for you to start a family in.” she’d say as she ushered the frog back in. Dipper would scoff,  
“I just told you that was a male of Lithobates catesbeianus, Mabel.” Mabel rolled her eyes,  
“Well then, Mr. Leggy can surely build a family for himself too.”

Every day after school tended to pass the same way for them, since the work being sent home was simple enough for the average kindergartener, let alone two prodigy children who spent their time handling frogs and building them quality architecture rather than inside watching TV or playing video games like their classmates likely were right now. This particular day was a Friday, and they planned to build a frog city and conduct a frog census by the time their parents called them in for dinner on Sunday night. 

A voice caused them to turn their heads towards the treeline up against their backyard,  
“Could I play with you guys?”  
The voice came from a small boy with neatly brushed brown hair and an orange sweater hanging off his small frame. He held his hands together up by his face, shy and with the oversized sleeves hanging way past his hands. “I could help decorate the little frog houses.” he offered, “maybe something in the style of the ancient greeks? I think a couple columns would really set apart that big house right there.” he shuffled down the hill and gestured at the clump of mud closest to the creek.  
Mabel grinned,  
“That’s for the queen frog”  
Dipper rolled his eyes, “Mabel, all the frogs have been boys so far, so it’s gonna be a king frog.”  
All that was heard was the splash of a five-year-old falling into the lake as he tried to dodge a stone thrown at him by his twin sister.  
“I’m Mabel, and that Creek Monster is Dipper”  
“This creek monster feeds on annoying twin sisters” Dipper shouted as he lunged from the water and toward Mabel.  
Wirt couldn’t help but laugh at them.  
“I’m Wirt.”

Every Friday from then on, the trio met by the creek.


	2. Chapter 2

Wirt and the twins had spent nine months playing in the creek, and now summer was upon them and they were looking forward to spending all their time together splashing around and playing in the mud. Wirt had confided to them that his dad had left him and his mom about a year ago. He’d met his soulmate and decided to pursue a relationship with her rather than with Wirt and his mom.   
“I always thought they were really good together” Wirt said, gazing into the mud blankly.  
“Our parents are soulmates” Mabel said, “They still argue a lot about stuff though- so things are always what you would expect, Wirt.”  
Wirt looked up and smiled at her, “Thanks, Mabel…. That reminds me, though: I made you guys something.” he dug into his shorts pocket-still wearing that massive orange sweater. “Since we weren’t really doing anything the last couple days of school, the teacher mostly had us do some crafts and i made you guys these.”   
He handed the bracelet to Mabel first. Pink and green and several noticeable missed loops. “OMG WIRT THIS IS SO SWEET!” she tackled him into the mud “THANKYOU!!!”   
Once she had released him, he was able to hand the remaining bracelet to Dipper. His was blue and green and orange, a little neater than Mabel’s- maybe Wirt had made hers first. He helped the twins tie the bracelets on their wrists, then held his own arm up, having to push the sweater up his arm. A woven combination of blue and red hung loosely on his pale freckled wrist. He looked down at the mud again.   
“You guys-” his voice caught. “You guys are my best friends- the only friends I have at all, to be honest. I wanted to give you something to remember me by for when you’re sad during the school year. I miss you guys so much that sometimes I wish I’d fail so I’ll be held back a year and be in the same class as you two.” he laughed a little bit, “But that would just make my mom sad.”  
“I wanna tackle hug you again” Mabel said as her own eyes teared up.   
“Thanks, Wirt.” Dipper leaned forward and hugged his best friend.


	3. Chapter 3

Time flew as the trio grew older, starting to share classes in high school and drive together (Mabel was rarely allowed behind the wheel). Wirt’s mom had remarried and they had shown the creekside to his half-brother, Greg. Now that the trio was preparing to graduate and head off to college- all at the same university, of course- they rarely touched the mud and preferred to ensure that Greg wasn't swept away in the creek. He’d introduced his pet frog, Jason, to the amphibian community as their benevolent president.   
They had all packed their cars and were to move into their dorms the following day. Dipper and Wirt of course rooming together.   
Mabel had long ago lost her friendship bracelet in the woods, her wrists now adorned with her own creations. Yet, Dipper still secretly wore his. Wirt had misplaced his around the time Greg was born, but Dipper had insisted on making him a replacement, which Wirt now wore proudly.  
“I’m really gonna miss all of you” Greg said, cuddling Jason and looking at the trio sitting on a picnic blanket on the hill. “Who are me and Jason gonna play with?”   
Mabel was the first to stand, “Well, little elephant, if you keep playing- keep being you- you just might be lucky enough to run into a couple of friends down by this creek.” she turned around to face two of her best friends, holding her hand out for Wirt to take.   
“And they'd be crazy not to stay by your side forever” Wirt added with a smile- an expression soon gone as Mabel swung him around and into the creek.   
A look of betrayal underneath soaked hair, and a look to his right as he realized he had accidentally reached for Dipper’s hand for some form of salvation from Mabel Pines, and had instead Dipper into the creek with him.  
Dipper quickly splashed water from the creek and onto the shore where Mabel was cackling at the sight in front of her. She grabbed a fistful of mud from the bank and chucked it at Dipper, missing and watching as the clump struck Greg in the chest. He dramatically clutched at his chest and fell backwards into the water.   
The four arrived at the backdoor of Wirt’s house, soaked and muddy, and all his mom could do was shake her head with a playful smile. After baths and a delicious dinner, the Pines’ headed back to their own house next door for their last night at home before leaving for college.


	4. Chapter 4

Wirt shut the trunk of his car, a faded orange sweater fitting him snugly, and appearing not to make him sweat in the mid August heat. He dusted off his palms and jogged down the street to help Mabel squeeze her sewing machine into her passengers seat.   
“All packed?” he asked.  
“Yeah, that should be it!” she exclaimed. “Anything else could be squeezed into Dipper’s trunk.”  
Dipper walked out the front door just in time to hear that, and rolled his eyes. “Actually, Mabel, my car doesn’t have any room for your stuff.”   
Mabel pouted. “Fine.”  
At that moment, Wirt’s mom came bustling through the door of her home, eyes barely visible over a large cardboard box. She strained her neck so her voice could be heard around the object.   
“Wirt, honey I found this box of your favorite old tapes in the attic, where in your car will it fit?”   
Wirt winced, “I’m not sure if they can, mom…. But I would really like to take the tapes with me.”  
“They’ll fit in my car!” Dipper interjected, Mabel’s pout at the injustice could go for miles. Dipper rolled his eyes, “Wirt is my roommate, Mabel. You're going to a whole different building than we are. It’s a different scenario.”  
“Whatever.” Mabel stuck out her tongue. 

The actual move-in went rather smoothly with two sets of parents and a hyperactive nine-year-old bouncing up and down sets of stairs with boxes that should by all reason be too heavy for him. It took the two families longer to move Mabel into her dorm than setting up the entirety of Dipper and Wirt’s.   
After photos and goodbye hugs (and plenty of tears from everyone), the parents and Greg set off for the hour drive back home.  
“First day of college in three days, boys,” Mabel hung her arms around their shoulders, dangling between them. “This is gonna be fun”


	5. Chapter 5

Classes started on August 25th, and they began quickly. Every morning in the boys’ shared dorm was a whirlwind as they gathered their late night homework from their desks and waited to brush their teeth. Grabbing a poptart or granola bar from a basket on the floor before double checking their schedules and classroom numbers. They barely had time to chat while living together, let alone with Mabel. All three of them felt a distance growing, but it wasn't going to last long.   
On August 31st, a loud knock on their dorm door woke the pair at 7am- an hour before their alarms were set to go off. Dipper, who had always been the lighter sleeper, shuffled to open the door and was greeted with a face full of confetti and a bubbly twin sister grinning at him.   
“Happy Eighteenth, Dipper Pines!” she threw some jazz hands.   
Dipper couldn't help but let a smile spread across his face. “Happy Birthday, Mabel.” he caught a piece of confetti from the air. “Now i'm gonna go back to sleep.” he gently shut the door.   
And hour later, his alarm went off and the usual shuffle began.   
“See you later, Wirt! I think Mabes wants to do dinner?” Dipper said as he walked out the door, leaving Wirt to sleepily brush his teeth and barely register the words.   
Halfway into his intro to literature class, Wirt was rolling a pencil with his thumb and forefinger, feeling like he’d forgotten something.  
He turned his head to look at Mabel- she always took the seat to his right- and made a face. Mabel grinned and stick her tongue out at him.   
“Is that a new sweater?” he mouthed.  
“yeah, Dipper gave it to me for our-“ 

Out of nowhere, a glow began to radiate around the classroom. After a quick sweep it was obvious it was originating from his bracelet.   
“what the-“  
“oh my god” Mabel’s eyes widened   
“what?”  
“Wirt, oh my GOD!” she started laughing, pointing at his bracelet.   
Wirt looked down, how own eyes widening at the realization.   
“oh my god” he whispered, “but this bracelet is from-“  
“uh-huh!” Mabel nodded enthusiastically.  
“but why now? why today?” Wirt puzzled.   
Mabel’s face fell, “Wirt…. you didn't… forget? did you?”   
“Forget wha-“ he cut himself off, looking at the current date in his open planner: August 31st. “oh my god, i am so so sorry. Its early and I didn't sleep much last night, and-“  
“Wirt, its okay.” Mabel reassured with a hand on his shoulder. “We have some bigger things to deal with now.”   
As the professor dismissed the class, Mabel grabbed Wirt by the hand and dragged him out of the classroom and through campus to the classroom Dipper was going to be released from in 10 minutes.   
Wirt felt someone run into him, his hand snapping out of Mabel’s and him nearly falling on the ground.   
After steadying himself on the arm of his assailant, he noticed that they, too, had a glowing woven bracelet tied around their wrist.   
Giving Dipper little more than a grin and a “happy birthday”, Wirt threw his arms around Dipper’s neck, and kissed him.


End file.
